Corn and cotton planter.



PATENTED AUG. 21,1906.

P. K. LA'I'HROP. CORN AND COTTON PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1904.

2 SHEETBSHEET 1 W 'iildaas' nu NQRRIS P1lk con WASHINGTON, n. c

N0. 829,112. PATBNTED AUG. 21, 1906.

F K. LAI'HROP. 001m AND COTTON PLANTBR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. 1904.

2 SHEETB-SHEET 2.

rnlmull: I-n'llu ca. lvAsumanu, n, c,

UNITED sures; PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK K. LATHROP, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO RAKE COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CORN AND COTTON PLANTER.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906,

Application filed November 23, 1904, Serial No. 234,580.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK K. LATHROP, a

citizen of the United States, residing in Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn and Cotton Planters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to the feed mechanism for delivering the seed to be planted to the furrow; and it consists of that certain novel combination of parts, to be hereinafter pointed out and claimed, whereby economy of construction and simplicity of arrangement are obtained, and whereby the machine may be easily and rapidly changed from a cotton to a corn planter, or vice verse, by the mere substitution of one covering-plate for another, and in which both the cotton and corn may be fed to the delivery-tube in full sight of the operator without effecting any change in the mechanism.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the seed-hopper conducting-tube and runner or furrow-opener of the planter. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the seeding devices for the corn. Fig. 4 is a similar plan view for the cotton-seed. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan of the operating devices. Fig. 6 is a central vertical section taken on the lines 6 6 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 is similar vertical section taken, on the lines 7 7 of Fig. 3.

I have only illustrated in the drawings the seeding mechanism, as my invention is particularly directed to this portion of the planter, and any construction. of frame and operating mechanism can be used therewith.

1 is the seed-hopper, of the usual cylindrical shape, mounted on and secured to the bottom plate 2, the bottom plate being hinged at 3 to the framework-casting 6, so that the hop er when desired can be thrown back to obtain access to the driving-gearing.

4 is the driving-shaft for the seed mechanism, driven in any suitable Way in the operation of the planter and supported in suitable journal-bearings 5 5 in the frame-casting 6 underneath the seed-hopper.

7 is the drivinggear, mounted on the driving-shaft 4 and engaging the usual gear-ring 8, which rests upon the bottom plate 2 of the hopper. This gear-ring is provided with a series of radial fingers 9 9, which extend nearly to the Wall 01 the hopper, and the gear-ring is provided with the usual slots (not I shown) on its inner edge to receive the lugs 10 10 of the seed-plate 11, so that the gearring and seed plate will rotate together. This seed-plate is provided with the seedopenings 12 to carry the corn to the opening 16 in the bottom plate of the hopper, whence it drops down into the conducting-tube 13 in front of the window 14 and whence it is delivered into the furrow at the heel of the runner or furrow-opener 15.

The gear-wheel 7 on the driving-shaft in addition to meshing with the gearring also meshes with the gear 18 on the wide-faeed ratchet feed-Wheel 19. This car and feed wheel 19 is journaled on a spindle at an angle to the axis of the driving-shaft 4, with the periphery of the ratcheted feed-wheel extending through an opening 20 in the bottom of the hopper under the radial fingers 9. It will be seen from this location of the feedwheel 19, which is intended to feed the cottonseed when the machine is used for a cotton planter, that its ratcheted periphery permits the carrying of the seed down through the opening 20 in the bottom plate of the ho )cr into the same conducting-tube 13 into wch the corn is fed when the machine is used as a corn-planter. It will also be evident that the rotation of this feed-wheel 19 will be opposed to the rotation of the radial fingers 9 on the gear-ring, and the effect will be to effectually separate and tear apart the cottonseed and to feed it evenly and continuously into the conducting-tube.

2] is a cut ofl' )latc adjustable by a thumbnut bolt 22 in the slot 23 in the plate to increase or diminish the ex ioscd surface of the cotton-feed ratchet-wheel and the size of the discharge-opening.

When the planter is to be used for the planting of cotton, a spherical cover 24 is employed to cover up the corn-feeding mechanism. 25 is a screw-threaded pin mounted on the bottom plate, and the cotton-covering plate 24 is secured in place by the nut or washer 26, arranged to [it down in the central de )rcssion in the cover-plate on the pin 25, an the cover is clamped to the bottom plate by the thumb-nut 27. When this cover 24 is in place, it will be evident that the corn seed plate and feeding mechanism will be entirely covered up and that the s herical shape of the cover will tend to deliver the cotton-seed toward the perimeter of the bottom plate and into contact with the radial fingers 9, which, with the rotation of the gear-ring 8, will carry the cotton-seed to the ratcheted peripher Y of the feed-wheel 19, which, rotating in t e 0 posite direction, will tear apart the seed and fbrce it down throu h the opening 20 in the bottom plate into t e conducting-tube to the furrow. Finger depressions 28 are provided in the spherical cover 24 to permit its ready removal when it is desired to convert the machine into a cornplanter.

To make this change, the cotton-cover plate 24 is removed and the corn-cover plate 29 is substituted therefor. This cover-plate consists of a concave disk plate, with a central opening to permit the corn to fall upon the seed-plate 11. The disk plate is provided with a central hub portion 30, with an o ening therein to allow for the assage of tie pin 25, the central portion eing connected with the main body of the late by the bridge-piece 31. This cover-p ate carries the usual spring-press fingers 32, which bear on to) of the seed-plate to clear the plate of alf kernels of corn except those in the seed-plate openings 12, and it also carries the usual springress knockers (not shown) at the rear of t e fingers 32 to force the grain down into the openin 16 in the bottom plate of the hopper. T ese fingers and knockers are mounted on or within the plate 33, which is bolted at 34 to the coverplate. This plate is secured in lace in the same way that the cotton-seed plate 24 is secured by the nut-washer 26 and the thumbnut 27 on the pin 25.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that the planter may be converted from a corn to a cotton planting device with the greatest ease and rapidity. None of the seeding parts are removed in making the change. The parts are so constructed and arranged that by merely changing the covers the transformation may be accomplished.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a planter, the combination with the seed-ho per, of a gear-ring carr g radial fingers or one kind and a seed iii t e for another kind of seed, with means for rotating said gear-ring to operate both devices, and covers for covering either said radial fingers or the seed-plate, to change the character of the planter without removal of any of the seeding parts.

2.- In a planter, the combination with the seed-hopper, of a ring carrying radial fingers,

feed-o enin s for the delivery 0 mounted to rotate in the bottom of said hopper, a gear for actuating said ring and a feedwheel to force the seed from the hopper, said feed-wheel being mounted at an oblique angle to the actuating-gear, with connection therefor with said gear, whereby said radial fingers and feed-wheel are driven simultaneously in opposing directions.

3. In a planter, the combination with the seed-hopper, of a ring carrying radial fingers, mounted to rotate in the bottom of said hopper, a gear for actuatin said ring and a feedwheel with a wide-faced ratcheted periphery to force the seed from the hopper, said fee wheel being mounted at an oblique angle to the actuating-gear, with connection therefor with said ear whereby said radial fingers and feed-w eel are driven simultaneously in opposing directions.

4. In a planter, the combination with the seed-ho per, of a gear-ring carrying radial fingers or the feeding of cotton and also carryin a seed-plate for feeding corn, with gearing or operating both devices, a semispherical cover to cover the seed-plate, and a disk plate to cover the radial fingers, with means or securing either of said covers to the bottom of the hopper to vary the character of feed.

5. In a planter, the combination with the seed-hopper, of a ring carrying radial fingers mounted to rotate in the bottom of the hopper, seed-plate mounted within said rin gearing for rotating said ring, a feed-whee cooperating with said fingers, mounted at an oblique angle to the actuatingear, with I the seed theret oug 1 in close roximity to each other and a common con noting-tube for the seed to the furrow.

6. In a planter, the combination with the seed-hopper, of a ring carrying radial fingers mounted to rotate in the bottom of the hopper, seed-plate mounted within said rin gearing for rotating said ring, a feed-whee with a wide-faced ratcheted periphery cooperating with said fingers, mounted at an oblique angle to the actuatingear, with feed-o enin s for the delivery of the seed theret oug in close proximity to each other, and a common conducting-tube for the seed to the furrow.

7. In a planter, the combination with the seed-hopper, of a seed-plate mounted to retate in the bottom thereof, an opening in the bottom of the hopper for the seed delivered by said seed-plate, gearing for actuating said seed-plate, said seed-plate carrying a rin provided with radial fingers and a feed-whee coiiperating therewith mounted obliquely to sai gearing and an opening in the hopper for the see delivered by said feedw eel, with a conducting tube common to both of said seed-o enings.

8. In a p anter, the combination with the seed-hopper, of a seed-plate mounted to rotate in the bottom thereof, an opening in the bottom of the hopper for the seed delivered by said seed plate, earing for actuating said seedlate, said seef-plate carrying a ring provide With radial fingers and a feed-wheel cooperating therewith havin a wide-faced ratcheted periphery mountec obliquely to said gearing and a contractible opening in the hopper for the seed delivered by the ratcheted periphery of said feed-Wheel, with ternal and external annular series of feeding 15 devices, in combination with interchangeable means for coverln g at will either the inner or outer series.

FRANK K. LATHROP. Witnesses:

R. WV. ALEXANDER, EMMA L. Tnnssmnn. 

